Method and product for treating glass wool



Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT amt METHOD AND PRODUCT FOR TREATHNG GLASS WOOL a corporation of Ohio No Drawing. Application February 20, 1936,

Serial No. 64,938

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved oil-inwater emulsion for application to the surfaces of glass wool fibers by which the fibers are lubricated, rendered more effective for use as thermal insulation and in filtering capacities, and breakage of the individual fibers during handling of the wool minimized. The present invention constitutes a continuation-in-part of our prior co-pehding application, Serial No. 737,637, filed July 30, 1934.

The practice of applying hydrocarbon oils to the fibers oi siliceous wools used for insulating and filtering purposes is a well established one with recognized benefits. In the protection of glass wool fibers by the use of such coatings, best results are obtained by applying the coating material immediately following the formation of the glass wool and while the latter is in a heated state. At this time there exists considerable relative movement between adjoining and contacting fibers which, if not lubricated, results in seizure or frictional inter-locking between the contacting fibers with resulting increased breakage. However, since glass wool at the time of its formation possesses a relatively high temperature, a fire hazard is created if the treating material, having a hydrocarbon oil as its major ingredient, is directly applied to the heated glass wool. Therefore, such treating materials have been applied to the wool after cooling to temperatures below the combustion point or" the coating materials, so that the glass fibers are unprotected during and immediately after primary formative stages. Moreover, the cost of such treatment with a lubricant comprising 90% to 100% of hydrocarbon oil is an item of considerable importance in the protection of siliceous wools even though the lubricant be sprayed on the wool fibers in relatively small quantities.

t is therefore one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide an improved lubricating emulsion of relatively low cost and capable of being applied to the glass wool when the latter is in a heated condition without fire risk.

Another object of the inventionis the provision of an economical lubr cating emulsion for glass wool which at the time of application thereof to the wool fibers comprises an oil-in-water emulsion whereinwater in the continuous phase is incorporating in the emulsion an ammonium salt by which objectionable alkalies associated with the glass wool may be neutralized without, however, detrimentally afie'cting the stability of the applied emulsion.

In accordance with the present invention, emulsion compositions are applied to the glass wool and when so applied are diluted with water so that said emulsions possess a water content varying from 85% to 95%, the balance being the oil phase together with the emulsifying agents.

A typical example of an emulsion suitable for the uses specified comprises the following:

Per cent Stearic acid 18.5 Light mineral oil 24.5 Crude scale vparafiin wax 9.8 Commercial concentrated 26 B. aqua ammonia 4.0 30 Water 43.2

. 100.0 Another example of our improved emulsion may consist in the following:

, Per cent Bright stock hydrocarbon oil, viscosity approximately 160 sec. at 210 F 4.0.0 Oleic acid 14.0 Commercia126 B. aqua ammonia 3.5 Water 42.5

.At the time or application, the above composition may be further diluted with about 8 to 9 parts of water and is then ready for use.

The following composition in concentrated form may also be employed to advantage and leaves a coating of a more solid nature on the wool fibers:

. v Per cent the process of application when an emulsion of Oleic acid 14.0 the described types is used since the water con- Commercial 26 B. aqua. ammonia -3.5 tent thereof is too high to permit of combustion.

Bright stock hydrocarbon oil, viscosity ap- The addition of ammonia to the emulsion improximately 160 sec. at 210 F 20.0 parts waterproofing or moisture repelling quali- Crude scale parafiin wax 20.0 ties to the applied coating on the glass fibers, this Water a 42.5 being particularly desirable'in cases where-the treated .glass wool may be exposed to the ele- 100.0 ments during transportation or when installed as insulation between building walls. In lieu of amother permissible formulas are as follows. monia, other volatilizablealkaline agents may be Per cent employed, such as methylamine or ethylamine Hydrocarbon oil (bright stock) 40.0 or, again, other ammonium soaps may be utilized. Oleic acid 14.0 Most glass wool has associated with it an al- Ammonia 4.0 kali, which is objectionable for certain uses. This Water", 41.5 alkali, presumably caustic soda, soda ash or both, Zinc oxide 0.5 is partially neutralized by the fatty-acid '(oleic' acid) 'in "the above emulsions whenv the wool is 100.0 treated therewith- Since these emulsions are- Per cent stabilized by alkaline ingredients (ammonia and Hydrocarbon on 400 ammonium soap), the addition of an excess of oleic acid T mineral acid to theemulsion for the purpose of Steam; "'7 counteracting the alkali onthe wool fibers would Ammonia, break the emulsion and render it ineffective. water Ammonium chloride or ammonium sulphate may. zinc ag therefore, be added to the emulsion for the purpose of neutralizing the "alkali on the glass wool 100 o successfully, since these salts are compatible with these alkaline emulsifying or stabilizing agents. These compositions may also be suitably di- It will be appreciated that an acid, such as hyluted with water prior to use. A light mineral oil may be substituted for the heavy bright stock lubricating oils, since a lighter bodied mineral oil and less parafiln wax may be preferred for certain forms of wool where the more adhesive heavy oil causes the wool to pack too tightly.

In these compositions, we do not limit ourselves to the employment of crude scale paraffin wax, as other well known waxes and wax-like substances may be substituted'inlieu thereof.

Such an oil-in-water emulsion applied to glass wool acts apparently as a tempering agent, since the glass wool possesses a fairly high temperature at the time of application of the emulsion, imparting to the glass fibers an increased tensile strength.

While the same emulsion may be upon glass woolemployed for thermal insulation and also for filtration purposes, it is preferable to employ a more concentrated form when theglass wool is employed primarily in air conditioning equipment for dust catching and filtering purposes. Thus in the case of glass wool adapted for use as insulation, :le preferably employ approxi-- mately 5% by weight of the finally diluteder'nulsion on the glass wool to be treated, whereas when the glass wool is employed as filter media, we preferably useabout 30% by weight of the finally diluted emulsion.

(since a very dilute emulsion is used) that it will not propagate vflame when an attempt is made to ignite it. No fire hazard exists during Water drochloric could be added to an emulsion containing an excess of ammonia withoutbreaking the emulsion if care were taken not to neutralize both the excess ammonia and the ammonia combined in the form of ammonium soap. The ammonium chloride would be, therefore, formed in the emulsion instead of being added as am-' monium chloride.

This ammonium chloride type of neutralizing agent is used with the ammonia stabilized emulsions, since it appears at present that the waterproof type of coating is of the greater commercial importance. This type of emulsion employs ammonia rather than other commercial alkalies, caustic soda and potash. The amount of. am-- monium chloride used depends on the amount of alkali on the wool, satisfactory results having been obtained by using 4% to 5% of ammonium chloride in the finally diluted emulsion.

We claim: y

k 1. An oil-in-water emulsion for application to glass wool to produce an oleaginous coating thereon comprising a hydrocarbon from about 20% to about 40%, a fatty acid from about 12.6% to 18.5%, 'a volatile alkaline agent inappreciable amount up to about 4%, and water.

2. An oil-in-water emulsion for producing a water-repelling oleaginous'coating on the surfaces of glass wool fibers comprising: a normally liquid fatty acid in the approximate proportion from about 12.6% to about 18.5%, hydrocarbonv in approximate proportion from about 20% to about 40%, an ammonium compound up to about 5%, and water, wherein water is the predominating ingredient.

3. As a new composition of matter, a stable emulsion for treating glass wool to produce an oleaginous coating thereon comprising:

4 Per cent Hydrocarbon oil (bright stock) 160 viscosity at 210 F 40.0 .Olei'c acid 14.0

26 B. aqua ammonia, commercial concentrated 3.5

.oleaginous \coating thereon comprising:

amazes 4. As a new composition of matter, a stable emulsion for treating glass 'wool to prodnce an 10 5. As a new composition of matter, a stable emulsion for treating glass wool to produce an oleaginous coating thereon comprising:

Percent Oleic acid 14.0 Commercial 26 B. aqua ammonia 3.5 Hydrocarbon oil 20.0 Paraflin wax 20.0 Water 42.5

HUGH M. BONE. ROBERT c. WILLIAMS. 

